Neath Port Talbot council investing in Aberavon Beach

Campaigners had claimed the seafront was looking a bit run down

Aberavon seafront is having a £400,000 makeover in time for the summer.

Concerns were raised last year that the area around the Blue Flag beach had seen better days.

The children's playground is being replaced, work is ongoing to refurbish the sunken gardens and the Aquasplash toddler's pool is being repaired.

Neath Port Talbot Council said that its contractors were aiming to complete all the work in time for the May bank holiday.

It is part of the authority's plans to create more leisure opportunities at the beach.

A campaign was launched on Facebook last year to improve the area.

Some of those involved said there were particular concerns about a lack of facilities since the Afan Lido was destroyed by major fire two years ago.

Plans have been put forward for a smaller version of the seafront leisure centre but it could be several years before that opens.

In the meantime, the council said it was working to improve the area for the summer after securing grants from the Welsh government and Europe.

It says the existing wooden playground no longer met modern standards and the new one would attract a new generation of youngsters to the seafront.

The sunken gardens, which have been a feature since the 1950s, are getting a new look

Refurbishment work is also being carried out at the Aquasplash toddlers' pool to repair some of the pipework which feeds the water features, and to repaint and reseal the pool's surface.

Thanks to a £135,000 grant supported by Visit Wales and the Welsh government, work started in October to redesign the sunken gardens.

The gardens have been a feature on the seafront since the 1950s.

The council's cabinet member for regeneration David Lewis said: "When we became a council in 1996 the place was in urgent need of regeneration and we've done that.

"It is now regarded as one of the foremost welcoming seafronts in the whole of south Wales.

"All we are doing now is building on the basic outline of it and adding features to the seafront to make it more user friendly.

"There is a programme of huge development down there."